


Plague

by varelse



Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood Drinking, Bloodplay, Character Turned Into Vampire, F/M, Pandemics, Plague, Prompt Fic, Tom's POV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:03:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2540405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varelse/pseuds/varelse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Inspired in part by Ultraviolet. A notable difference is the lifespan after infection with the hemophage virus.</p><p>This one-shot is not part of the developing AU in which my other stories are set, although it features the same characters.</p></blockquote>





	Plague

They called it a plague, a scourge, God's revenge for man's iniquities. I called it a phenomenal stroke of bad luck - at first.

When the hemophage virus appeared seemingly out of nowhere, the global reaction was pretty much the same as it had been with all the previous health scares. Lots of news footage, "breaking news" distractions, hysterical screeching from politicians of all stripes...all of which served to keep everyone's eyes off the ball. The pandemic was real, though slow in spreading, and by the time anyone did anything about it, it was already too late for me.

To this day, I'm not sure how I contracted the virus. The symptoms had been unmistakable, though, and spending three weeks with a fever hadn't been any fun. My best guess was a small amount of transfused blood for a surgical procedure I'd undergone to correct a hip problem, before anyone realized how the disease was transmitted.

My physical size was a factor in both my survival and the somewhat milder negative side effects I experienced from the disease. It became well-established early in the pandemic that smaller people didn't fare as well. Of course, fans of eugenics went berserk over that, espousing really disturbing theories about the rise of a superior variety of man. I stayed away from those people as much as possible, but as I discovered how the infection had changed me, such thoughts flashed across my mind with increasing frequency.

The first change was a much sharper sense of hearing. Listening to loud music through earbuds for years had led to a progressive deterioration of the range of frequencies I could hear. Upon awakening from the long fever that by rights should have robbed me of my hearing altogether, I began noticing sounds I'd not heard in a long time. Then I detected others I'd never heard -small, quiet, below the threshold of my previous range. But that wasn't as disconcerting as my enhanced vision.

Two months into my convalescence, I realized that I didn't need driving or reading glasses anymore. I was very happy about that, but it didn't stop there. Looking at flowers and seeing patterns in what should have been solid colors was the clue - I could see into near ultraviolet. Looking at people and seeing a sort of colored haze overlaid on their skin - infrared. It was like opening my eyes to the world for the first time. My sensitivity to light increased at the same time, but manageably so. That at least allowed me to continue acting.

My brain was making sense of this new flood of information in odd ways. Sometimes, it was almost like reading someone's mind - between all the sounds their bodies made and their skin's response to their moods and thoughts, people became transparent to me. Lies, truth, lust, fear...open to me like a book. And fear…

Fear had a very enticing tang to it. Four months into my recovery, I developed a sort of hyperosmia. I could smell emotions. It bothered me quite a bit at first, but as I learned to tune it out unless I needed it, I discovered how much I enjoyed it. And it helped me in my work quite a bit, something I didn't expect.

The overt physical signs of infection weren't quite as spectacular as the sensory enhancements, but they were still there for everyone to see, and they occurred early. An old injury to my left hand finished healing itself - decades after I broke two knuckles playing rugby in school. I could run longer, faster, and I recovered from any exertion in half the time. Another old scar, the one that had caused the facial nerve damage which twisted my lower lip at times, faded away and disappeared. My thinning hairline filled in again. I had to put my modeling career on indefinite hiatus because of those changes; it pained me, but I couldn't afford to have fans scrutinize every detail of every photoshoot and speculate on whether an airbrush artist had overdone it, or something more was at work.

All this to say I coped with the aftermath of the infection fairly well, and succeeded in hiding its effects to a large extent. It occurred to me that anyone else who had come through might be undergoing the same changes as I did, without disclosing them. I couldn't be the only one - and I wasn't telling.

The increased size of my canines was both unexpected and more difficult to ignore. So was my burgeoning obsession with blood.

\----------------------

Lyekka called me out of the blue. We hadn't seen each other for almost five years, and although I missed her, we had inexplicably drifted apart. 

"Hello, Tom."

"Lyekka." I felt my groin stir at the sound of her voice. It had been so long.

"How are you? I heard you were ill - I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. I wasn't sure you'd talk to me."

"Why wouldn't I? I'm fine - much better now, thank you. Where are you?"

"I was just - I don't know what I was thinking. I'm in New York. You're home in London?"

"Yes, I'm in between projects right now."

A pause.

"Are you...with...anyone…?"

Another awkward silence.

"No, Lyekka, not currently. Um, do you feel like - I mean, how about you come see me, or I could come visit you. You don't have to, though, if…"

"I'd love to, Tom. I - I really miss you." I could hear her smile.

"Alright. Just let me know when you'll arrive, and I'll, uh, I'll clean house a bit."

She giggled. "I'll see you within the week. And Tom?"

"Yeah?"

Silence, then…

"I love you."

She hung up before I could tell her I loved her still.

\-------------------------------

Lyekka arrived in London five days later. She still had keys to my house, and she called ahead from the airport to let me know she'd be right there. When we hung up, I realized I was in a cold sweat. I had no idea whether she knew what had made me ill in the first place, nor how she'd react to seeing me _changed_.

Then I remembered - today was her birthday.

Doorbell, then a fumble of keys in the lock. I stood in the foyer, frozen, not knowing how to feel.

And there she was.

_Fuck me sideways._

She had never looked more lovely. Her hair was shoulder length now, swept back away from her perfect face in one of her signature asymmetrical cuts. Leather and silk clothes hinted at her slender but athletic frame. My enhanced senses played to her beauty and made her appear infinitely alluring.

She dropped her small suitcase at her feet. We stared at each other for long minutes, neither of us quite believing the other was there, in the same house, the same room.

"Hello, Lyekka."

"Tom."

I walked towards her, held her in my arms, took her lips. She hugged me close and returned the kiss. My cock stiffened against her, and I could hear her heart as clearly as a bell, the rush of her blood making my head swim. Her scent was intoxicating. I felt a strange heat rising within me, a desire my transformation had only hinted at until now. Our tongues chased one another, and I wanted...needed...

All of a sudden, she froze. I looked at her, and she stared at me, horrified, then pushed away. That sharp smell of fear hung between us.

"Oh my god, Tom...that fucking disease...you FUCK! WHY didn't you tell me??"

I held up my hands, no idea what to say.

"Lyekka…"

"DON'T. Do not talk to me. Don't come near me. Fuck! Did you think I wouldn't _notice?_ Look at you…"

"What?"

Crying now, she turned me to face the mirror in the entryway. 

"Look at you…"

I saw.

I saw an incarnation of desire and death. Flushed skin, fangs longer and sharper than they'd ever been, hooded eyes of the brightest green. 

I saw that I was perfect. A better species of man. 

And out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lyekka running out, her suitcase left behind on the floor.

\--------------------------------

I slumped on the couch for hours, staring into space, trying to marshal my thoughts. I barely noticed dusk sliding into night. What would I do when she came back? Would she come back? Should I call her? In all the time I'd known Lyekka, I'd never been at such a loss for actions or words.

Keys fumbling in the lock for the second time today. I hadn't locked the door behind her, but she didn't know that.

And there she stood again, her eyes dried, appearing as composed and cool as she could, given the circumstances.

"Tom…"

"Lyekka." I sat still, letting her unfold her mind at her own pace. She slowly crossed the living room and sat at the opposite end of the couch.

"When did this happen?"

"About six months ago. I'm not sure how I caught it. It's spread through blood-to-blood contact though, and I had a surgery, so…"

She leaned in to take a better gander at me.

"You look different than you did when I first came in…you look more like how I remembered you." She lowered her gaze.

"Lyekka, I haven't changed that much." But I knew now that it was a lie.

Her outstretched hand reached for my face. Her emotions were a jumble - I couldn't make sense of the noise emanating from her scent, her skin, her entire body. I don't think she could either.

Her fingers grazed my cheek. I inhaled sharply, hissing through my teeth. She lifted my upper lip with her thumb, gazing at my eyeteeth in wonder. I closed my eyes and felt her move closer to me on the couch.

"Tom, what...what's it like? Tell me…"

I stretched out, conscious of her gaze on me, her body cues becoming more distinct, the background noise dying down. She wanted me, but she wasn't sure.

"It's hard to describe, Lyekka. It's...more of _everything_. Sight, hearing, touch - all enhanced. I don't know how else to…"

Her hand on my mouth silenced me.

"I want what you have. I want us to be together, but not like this. Not while one of us is still...only human."

I took her hand and kissed her palm. She was sure now, I could taste it on her skin. My cock stirred, and one note in her scent overwhelmed all the others. Lust. I opened my eyes.

"It could kill you. Lyekka, I barely know how to live with this yet - and if anything happens to you because of me, I'd never forgive myself." 

She straddled my lap and ran her hands through my hair. "Take a chance with me, Tom. Please." She began stroking my hardening length through my trousers. "If you can't tell me, show me."

I wrapped my arms around her and traced her neck with my lips and tongue. Her speeding heartbeat made me dizzy. I wanted to be inside her more than anything…

...and then this _other_ desire rose again, to make her mine in the only way that mattered to this new creature I had become. 

I forced myself to slow down. She'd never be ready - and I wasn't sure I was.

"Tom, what's wrong?"

I leaned back to look at her, and that intoxicating note of fear returned - in her scent, and in her eyes.

I pushed her down and muffled her rising scream with my hand as I sank my fangs into her neck, taking in delicious gulps of her warm, thick blood. She fell silent, her body limp under me, then she twined her fingers in my hair and whispered "Take what you need."

"Ohhh...I need _you_ , Lyekka. All of you. Give me what I need, and I'll give you what you want."

I sat up and pulled her to me. The wounds on her neck were closing - what was this? 

"Tom…" She felt for the gashes I'd left and found none. "How…?"

"I don't know. I've never seen it happen. Are you okay?" Her skin was literally glowing, infrared blurs dancing all over her.

"I...I feel a bit faint. Can we go upstairs? I need to lie down."

"Of course."

I carried her to the bed we had shared for years and we undressed each other slowly, deliberately, never breaking eye contact, until we were both naked and lying together side by side. I caught a glimpse of myself in the dresser mirror - feral, beautiful, alien. I looked away.

"Tom…"

"Lyekka - are you sure…?"

Her hands were everywhere on my body. "I am. Remember what I told you on the phone when I called last week?"

I smiled ruefully. "Yes, and you hung up before I could tell you...I love you, Lyekka. I never stopped loving you. Why did you hang up?"

She placed one of my hands on her quim. "I was afraid you wouldn't say it, and I couldn't bear the thought. But I'm not afraid anymore, Tom. Make me completely yours."

I bit my lower right lip to the blood and kissed her. Her tongue invaded my mouth as she drank from me what she wanted - the red, warm and sweet and metallic. If not for my improved hearing, I wouldn't have heard her whisper "...and you are mine..."

I worked one finger, then two, through her dripping folds. She was so wet for me, and her scent was maddening. Her entire body called to me, her siren song overwhelming me. There was no question of controlling myself - I couldn't. She was a riptide. I kissed my way down her body, grazing her skin with my fangs, and she bucked and arched her back with every touch. She laced her fingers through my hair, moaning and writhing, my name on her lips with every ragged breath.

"Tom...please…"

"Oh god, Lyekka, I can't...I can't hold on...fuck…"

"Tom...please...please...make me come…"

Her voice rose as I slid my tongue around and across her clit, still pumping her with two fingers. Her hips jerked off the bed, and in the split second of her falling over the edge, I bit my healed lip again and sank my teeth inside her right thigh, mixing our blood. She howled in pain and pleasure.

Before she could recover, I entered her in one smooth stroke and lost the last shred of control I had. Her inner walls were still clenching rhythmically, and I rode the last of her orgasm with her until mine ripped my mind away from me, her name a scream in my throat and on my lips.

...

I drifted in and out of awareness for a few minutes, conscious only of my entire body humming, and of Lyekka's hands on my back and neck. I shifted my weight and opened my eyes. She smiled.

"My Thomas...that was so wonderful...

"Ooooh, Lyekka...are you okay?"

She caressed my face. "Yeah, I feel a bit weird, but...I'll be okay, I think." She looked down at her unmarked thigh.

"This is going to sound really stupid after all this, but - happy birthday, my love. Today is the 17th, is it not?"

She giggled. "You know, I almost forgot. Thank you, Tom - for everything."

\------------------------------

She fell ill two days later. We discussed what to do, and decided she'd stay with me and I'd watch over her. I regretted that decision when I realized I could see her fever on her skin, harrowing bright patches crawling up and down her limbs, but she insisted she wanted to be with me. When I had to leave the house, I made sure she could reach me at all times. 

She was a lot sicker than I had been, which wasn't surprising in light of her smaller build. It didn't assuage my guilt in the least. I hated to see her suffer, and pondered having her hospitalized, but she argued with me vehemently in her more lucid moments, and I relented.

She asked for more blood, which I provided. I also had to drink it, but I found out we both only needed very small quantities to get by. The first time she begged me, I was scared stiff - after all, it was how she got sick in the first place - but it made her feel a little bit better, and that was reason enough for me to turn our fingers into pincushions.

\-------------------------------

I was in the kitchen preparing my evening meal when I heard soft steps on the stairs. 

"Hey Tom, what time is it?"

I was overjoyed - it was the first time since she got sick that she was up under her own power. I abandoned my food and met her at the bottom of the stairs.

"Supper time. I was expecting you to ask me what day it is, though…"

She gestured vaguely. "Meh, I don't really care. I feel like I've had a million-year nap! I think it's the most I've ever slept in my entire life…"

"How do you feel?"

She cast new eyes on me then, and I could see the change had already taken hold. "I feel...more me. It's weird, you were right, it's hard to describe. I heard you puttering in the kitchen and smelled the spices you're about to use all the way from the bedroom. It's a bit scary, actually."

I took her hand. "You'll get used to it. I learned to tune it out when I have to, you will as well."

We kissed for long minutes, and realized at the same time how much more of each other we were already sharing. As tuned to one another as we had been before, this was almost...telepathic. No barriers, no blocks, nothing to keep us apart, physically or spiritually. She smiled up at me, her small fangs catching lightly on her lower lip.

"Bed or couch? Although I've seen enough of the bed in the last...how long _has_ it been, actually?"

"Six weeks, give or take a day...we'll have to explain that to _someone_ at some point, I'm sure, but not right now."

"You didn't answer my question...my other question…"

I peeled her t-shirt off her and licked her neck. "Perfectly good staircase right here, my love…"

She laughed softly. "Right you are."

We fucked our way up the stairs into the bedroom in a crescendo of lust and sensory overload. We discovered a new synchronism, anticipating each other like never before, merging in ways that left us gasping for breath and laughing into each other's mouth. 

"Tom...I...need to stop for a minute…"

"You're already killing me, Lyekka, you might as well finish me off…"

She grabbed my waist and flipped me onto my back. "Fine, you asked for it…"

In a single move, faster than any human, she was on top of me and taking me inside her. Just as fast, I sat up and bent her head back, exposing her neck to my teeth and tongue.

And she started to move.

I tried to look at her, but I couldn't keep my eyes open. White light building up, her sounds, her hips rolling, then a mutual shock of recognition…

One heartbeat.

"Did you…" One voice.

As far into each other's mind as we were into each other's body now, white light turning impossibly bright behind our eyes... _our_ hands, _our_ mouths, _oh fuck_...

Rising to blinding heights before our fall, the ultimate communion, indescribable pleasure…

Teeth sinking into my neck, divine pain, biting into Lyekka's shoulder and _feeling it_ as she did, oh gods... _our_ cock, _our_ cunt...

{*be with me*}

I/she/we came

I returned to my shuddering body, Lyekka slumped against me, both of us sobbing.

{*what was _that?_ *}

"Lyekka...I love you...I love you...oh fuck, you have no idea...I love you…"

She took a deep breath and beheld me in wonder, the wound on her shoulder already closing.

"Tom, I do. I _know_. What's happening to us? I'm scared…"

I leaned back until I lay on the bed again. "Me too, love. I'm scared this won't happen ever again."

She lay down next to me, propped up on one elbow, stroking my chest. 

{*but it will, right?*}

I could still hear her in my head. This was going to take some getting used to.

The sense of _her_ intensified as we kissed each other to sleep.

\-------------------------------

News of other people who had survived the disease with enhanced senses began filtering through a few weeks later. Lyekka and I were just two of the number at the forefront of human evolution. Strange. The world we lived in was irrevocably changed.

And the virus had one more surprise in store for us.

\-------------------------------

"Here's your coffee, Tom." She deposited the cup and saucer in front of me and pecked my cheek. 

{*enjoy!*}

"Oh, thank you, Lyekka! Smells delicious too - what's in it?"

She smirked. "AB positive, courtesy of yours truly, _of course_ , what do you think? Just a couple of drops though, nothing fancy."

I dismissed the holographic screen I had been perusing with a wave of my hand and rose to hug her. 

"Speaking of fancy, big day today, yeah? I booked reservations to your favourite restaurant, so pick something sassy to wear tonight."

She looked up at me and smiled. "Aw, you remembered! Brownie points for Tommy!"

I stroked her hair and kissed her. "Happy birthday, Lyekka. I love you."

Two hundred and fifty years to the day after I turned her.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired in part by Ultraviolet. A notable difference is the lifespan after infection with the hemophage virus.
> 
> This one-shot is not part of the developing AU in which my other stories are set, although it features the same characters.


End file.
